The field of the present invention is the measurement of vehicle wheels.
The wheels of a vehicle, such as an automobile, truck or boat, are conventionally connected to the axle of the vehicle by threading the lugs of the hub of the axle through corresponding lug holes in the wheel. The lugs are tightened into position and held by bolts. A wheel is thus removed by loosening and removing the bolts and sliding the wheel off the hub. Vehicle owners, mechanics, repairmen, auto rebuilders and restorers and hobbyists often have an interest in replacing the wheels of a vehicle, for performance, repair, aesthetic or other reasons. Finding a replacement wheel with a lug hole pattern which matches the lug pattern of the vehicle's hub, however, is a known problem.
Wheel assemblies usually contain four or five lugs on the axle hub and four or five corresponding lug holes on the wheel. However, among all assemblies, there exist numerous different lug patterns and arrangements, varying in dimension, spacing and pattern. Sometimes even two cars of the same model, year and make will sport different lug patterns in their wheel assemblies. Such lug pattern variations make it difficult for one to determine whether a desired replacement wheel will fit the particular lug pattern of a vehicle. In order to determine the fit, one must bring the wheel to the vehicle, or the vehicle to the wheel, and "try it on." The inconveniences of this method are apparent. One cannot easily shop around for a wheel in this manner, and it requires repeated wheel removal and replacement.
Despite such variation among the lug patterns of wheel assemblies, little has been done to standardize patterns or to provide a means for finding a wheel which will match the lug pattern of a particular vehicle.